OSHA Inspection: MIDDLE INLET WOOD PRODUCTS LLC

Issued

Mar 12, 2021

Abate by

Apr 30, 2021

Penalty

Initial $329 · Current $329

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1903.19(c)(1):Within 10 calendar days after the abatement date, the employer must certify to OSHA (the Agency) that each cited violation has been abated, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.  a.  On or about July 13, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-1 had been abated.  The employer was required to remove the sawdust piled up outside the trailer, on the roof and the surrounding ground causing the walls of the building to be pushed in.  b.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-2-a had been abated.  The employer was required to establish a lockout tagout program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections for employees performing servicing and maintenance work on equipment including but not limited to the head saw, edger, Brewco Re-saws, trim saws and dust collector.  c.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-2-b had been abated.  The employer was required to develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees performing servicing and maintenance work on equipment including but not limited to the head saw, edger, Brewco re-saws, trim saws and dust collector.  d.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-2-c had been abated.   The employer was required to provide training in an energy control program to authorized employees who engaged in servicing and maintenance tasks including blade changes and sharpening on a daily basis.  The employer was also required to provide affected employee training to those employees who worked in the sawmill and did not engage in servicing and maintenance tasks.  e.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-3 had been abated.   The employer was required to ensure that the John Deere 244J front end loader operator completed a forklift training program allowing them to use the loader with forks to handle logs, equipment, and lumber.  f.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-4-b had been abated.   The employer was required to guard the following:      (a)  the pulley transferring power to the 52 inch head saw.       (b)  the pulleys transferring power on the north side of the edger.       (c)  the pulleys transferring power on the south side of the edger.       (d)  the pulleys on the enclosed dust collector on the north side of the building.  g.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-4-c had been abated.   The employer was required to guard the following:      (a)  the belt transferring power from the 52 inch head saw drive motor.       (b)  the belt transferring power on the north side of the edger.       (c)  the belt transferring power on the south side of the edger.       (d)  the belt transferring power on the enclosed dust collector on the north side of the building.  h.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-4-d had been abated.   The employer was required to enclose the chain and sprockets driving the live rolls and sawblades on the edging machine.  i.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-4-e had been abated.   The employer was required to guard the chain and sprocket driving the conveyor.    j.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-4 had been abated.   The employer was required to provide suitable guards on the 18 inch jump saw.  k.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-7 had been abated.   The employer was required to provide fall protection to employees working near the head saw pit.  l.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-8-b had been abated.   The employer was required to protect conductors from abrasion when entering an electrical motor powering the scrap conveyor from the 18 inch jump saw and close the opening on the junction box to prevent sawdust from entering.  m.  On or about July 13, 2020, 2020, the employer did not certify that citation 1-8 had been abated.   The employer was required to remove extension cords and flexible cords as substitutes for fixed wiring, affixing them to the building structure and running them through holes in walls.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $1,446 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1): (1) All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.    On or about November 4, 2020, sawdust was allowed to pile up outside the trailer, onto the roof and the surrounding ground causing the walls of the building to be pushed in.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $2,892

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1): Energy control program. The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.    The employer had not established a lockout tagout program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections for employees performing servicing and maintenance work on equipment including but not limited to the head saw, edger, Brewco Re-saws, trim saws and dust collector.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4)(i): Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.     The employer did not develop, document, and utilize energy control procedures for employees performing servicing and maintenance work on equipment including but not limited to the head saw, edger, Brewco re-saws, trim saws and dust collector.    Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locker-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(i): The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.    The employer did not provide training in an energy control program to authorized employees who engaged in servicing and maintenance tasks including blade changes and sharpening on a daily basis.  The employer also did not provide affected employee training to those employees who worked in the sawmill and did not engage in servicing and maintenance tasks.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $1,446 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i): The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l).    The employer did not ensure that the John Deere 244J front end loader operator completed a forklift training program prior to allowing them to utilize the loader with forks to handle logs, equipment, and lumber.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $4,048 · Current $2,024 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.213(r)(4): The mention of specific machines in paragraphs (a) thru (q) and this paragraph (r) of this section, inclusive, is not intended to exclude other woodworking machines from the requirement that suitable guards and exhaust hoods be provided to reduce to a minimum the hazard due to the point of operation of such machines.    On or about September 10, 2019, the Grizzly Industrial, Inc. Model G0502 18 inch jump saw s/n 0414 was not equipped with suitable guards to reduce the point of operation hazard to a minimum.  Employees were able to access the point of operation during use.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(d)(1): Guarding. Pulleys, any parts of which are seven (7) feet or less from the floor or working platform, shall be guarded in accordance with the standards specified in paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section. Pulleys serving as balance wheels (e.g., punch presses) on which the point of contact between belt and pulley is more than six feet six inches (6 ft. 6 in.) from the floor or platform may be guarded with a disk covering the spokes.    (a)  The pulley transferring power from the 52 inch head saw drive motor was not guarded exposing employees to caught-in hazards.    (b)  The pulleys transferring power on the north side of the edger were not guarded exposing employees to caught-in hazards.    (c)  The pulleys transferring power on the south side of the edger were guarded with a wooden box that was easily removed exposing employees to caught-in hazards.    (d)  The pulleys on the enclosed dust collector on the north side of the building were not guarded exposing employees to caught-in hazards.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(e)(3)(i): Vertical and inclined belts shall be enclosed by a guard conforming to standards in paragraphs (m) and (o) of this section.    (a)  The belt transferring power from the 52 inch head saw drive motor was not fully enclosed by a guard exposing employees to ingoing nip points and caught in hazards.    (b)  The belt transferring power on the north side of the edger was not guarded exposing employees to ingoing nip points and caught-in hazards.    (c)  The belt transferring power on the south side of the edger was guarded with a wooden box that was easily removed exposing employees to ingoing nip points and caught-in hazards.    (d)  The belt transferring power on the enclosed dust collector on the north side of the building was not guarded exposing employees to ingoing nip points and caught-in hazards.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.265(e)(5)(ii)(a): The top and the openings in end and side frames of edgers shall be adequately guarded and gears and chains shall be fully housed. Guards may be hinged or otherwise arranged to permit oiling and the removal of saws.    The chain and sprockets driving the live rolls and sawblades on the edging machine were not enclosed as required potentially exposing employees to ingoing nip points and caught in hazards.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.219(f)(3): Sprockets and chains. All sprocket wheels and chains shall be enclosed unless they are more than seven (7) feet above the floor or platform. Where the drive extends over other machine or working areas, protection against falling shall be provided. This subparagraph does not apply to manually operated sprockets.    Employees stacking pallet boards at the end of the sawmill line were exposed to ingoing nip point and caught in hazards created by an unguarded chain and sprocket driving the conveyor.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,313 · Current $1,156 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.265(c)(4)(iv): Elevated walks. All elevated walks, runways, or platforms, if 4 feet or more from the floor level, shall be provided with a standard railing except on loading or unloading sides of platforms. If height exceeds 6 feet, a standard toe board also shall be provided to prevent material from rolling or falling off.    Employees are exposed to fall hazards of approximately five and a half feet into the head saw pit when standing on the carriage beams to sharpen the saw blade every three hours.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $1,446 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv): Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used:    The employer utilized extension cords and flexible cords as a substitute for fixed wiring, affixing them to the building structure and running them through holes in walls.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Abate by

Jun 30, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.305(b)(1)(i): Conductors entering cutout boxes, cabinets, or fittings shall be protected from abrasion, and openings through which conductors enter shall be effectively closed.    On or about November 4, 2019, conductors entering an electrical motor powering the scrap conveyor from the Grizzly Industrial, Inc. Model G0502 18 inch jump saw were not protected from abrasion and the opening was not effectively closed.  The insulation was pulled out of the opening exposing the conductors to abrasion and allowing sawdust and debris to enter the junction box.

Issued

Mar 9, 2020

Penalty

Initial $2,892 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1904.39(a)(2): Basic Requirement. Within twenty-four (24) hours after the in-patient hospitalization of one or more employees or an employee's amputation or an employee's loss of an eye, as a result of a work-related incident, you must report the in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA.    On or about November 4, 2019, the employer failed to report an amputation that occurred on the Grizzly Industrial, Inc. Model G0502 18 inch jump saw s/n 04514 on September 10, 2019.